There is a difference between God giving up on someone, and giving someone up to their own hearts lust. The God of the Bible is not chasing sinners, wrestling with the in hopes that they will trust Him. As the Sovereign God, He knows already those that are His, and when He is pleased to bring them to bow, they will and do bow, made willing in the day of HIS power, Psalm 110:3. To assume that He is trying to save sinners and eventually must give up on them is an idol god not worth worshipping anyway. If the creature is stronger than his creator, then it must be that the creator is less than omnipotent, which could never describe the LORD God.

On the other hand, Scripture is clear that there are those that God has, does, and will give over to their own reprobate hearts, Romans 1:24,28. It is what Stephen declared to the religious Sanhedrin in his God inspired message recorded in Acts 7:39-43. What are the evidences of God giving sinners up?

1.) There is a rejection and hatred of His divinely appointed Mediator, the LORD Jesus Christ, Acts 7:39. As Israel of old turned against Moses in their murmuring and complaining, so are many today who would prefer to hear messages about their own personal obedience than of the Person and Work of the LORD Jesus. They would prefer to complain of their isolation from other bigger and more lively congregations than the isolation of being among the few whom the LORD has saved by the death of the LORD Jesus, and taught by His Spirit of grace to rejoice in HIM as needy sinners.

2.) In their hearts, they have turned back to Egypt, (false religion) Acts 7:40. Even with all that Egypt represents in slavery and being under hard taskmasters, they prefer to be told what to do and live under bondage than to follow after the LORD Jesus in the freedom that HE has bought for them, even if to live in isolation and set apart from the world. They prefer the garlic and onions of Egypt (herbs that come with a pungent smell and taste) than to enjoy the Manna (God-given, free Bread from heaven) and Water of Life given for the quenching of thirsty sinners. When God gives sinners up it isn’t that He is withholding anything from them that they would really want otherwise. NO! It is giving them up to what is ‘their own hearts’ lust,’ all along.

3.) They are given up to rejoice in ‘the works of their own hands.’ Acts 7:41. Note, they REJOICE in the works of their own hands. This is why they are so angry when you point out that such rejoicing is rebellion, and that the only true rejoicing is in the work of the LORD Jesus and what HE has wrought for the salvation, peace, pardon, forgiveness and justification of sinners upon completion of His Work at the cross. It is not just that He died, but WHO died, WHY He died, for WHOM He died, WHY He died, and WHAT His death accomplished on behalf of sinners.